Post by Scruffy on Oct 4, 2015 0:43:15 GMT -5
(A story inspired by the dream I had last night.)
A quick note: Fishcats, also called Catfish, are a race of shapeshifters that can transform between cat, fish, and human, or a mix between cat/fish forms (know as "mixed forms"), gill-baring human forms, and cat/human forms. Some communities spend most of their lives as only one species, and some alternate frequently between all of them. Fishcats generally live between 30 and 45 years. The main character, Haruka, is 7, which is roughly the equivalent of a 19 year old human. They are considered a magic people, and are the subject of discrimination from real humans.
The prologue is probably pretty cliche/cookie-cutter backstory stuff but who cares.
Prologue
Life is a journey, and along the road, things happen that you aren't prepared for. Maybe those things will change your life, or maybe they won't. For Haruka, a spanner barb tabby fishcat living in Markrivet lake, one of these instances demonstrated to him how quickly someone or something you love can be snatched away.
At the age of six, a fishcat nearly old enough to be considered an adult, he led a happy and simple life.
His was a family that often stayed in their mixed forms, between cat and fish. Devouring flies and small mammals near the lake and playing with the reeds that grew on the sandy floor of his clear-watered home, he was always satisfied. His mother and father, as well as his older brother Nezuri, were an excellent example to the Markrivet community how peaceful a life can be.
His carefree existence was thrown to the wind on a stormy august day. The waves thrashed across the shore, like nothing Haruka had ever seen. He watched, clinging tightly to a small rock, his claws struggling to keep their hold. The wind roared like a dozen tigers sparring.
A wave washed over him, throwing him away from the stone, and into his brother. "Nezuri!" He spat, water stinging his eyes. "What's with this storm?" Haruka looked at his brother, nearly identical to him in their mixed forms, dark brown tabbies with gills, a fin-like tail, webbed paws and a fin-crest along their back.
"I'm not sure, but I don't think the lake is safe right now," he yelled over the roar. "We should find our parents."
They swam, with great difficulty, through the torrent. Their parents were standing at a stone wall connected with a flat rock surface serving as a floor, looking wet and troubled. Upon seeing their kits, Haruka's mother let out a loud meow to tell them to follow. Then, she dove into the water.
Haruka was confused, but obedient. The whole family swam after her as she exited on the nearby east shore behind the rock. His mother quickly transformed into her cat form. A graceful abyssinian cat, she was now much more suited for running on land. The others followed suit, and chased her as she ran through the trees.
Deafening thunder made Haruka flatten his ears and feel as though his heart would leave his body through his throat. The storm showed no signs of ending. He stuck close to Nezuri as they leaped on rocks and fallen trees.
They heard a yelp, and stopped running, to get their bearings. Their parents had vanished. "Where are they?" Haruka asked in panic. Nezuri seemed frozen. "Nezuri! Where are they? Nezuri?" His voice wavered, and then Nezuri began to glow. Why was he transforming now?
In his human form, Nezuri was a tall, handsome man - wearing a white shirt with a grinning face, now no longer relevant to the state of their lives. He reached for Haruka's hand.
Bright light filled the air. A tree behind them lit on fire.
Haruka transformed, and grabbed his brother's hand. "I won't lose you!" Shouted Nezuri, climbing up a rock they probably would've had more trouble crossing over as cats.
On the way down on the otherside, Nezuri tripped, and let out a yowl of pain. "What?" Shouted Haruka.
"My leg," Nezuri said. He held it and grimaced. "I think it's broken. Haruka, you have to go."
"No," Haruka looked down at his brother. "No, Nezuri, no."
"Hurry. I'll meet you back at Markrivet later." Haruka knew even Nezuri didn't believe that. Nezuri grabbed his brother's hand. "Haruka. Take care of yourself. And remember, stay away from the grasp of humans. They're tricky, ruthless creatures, and some of them know destructive magic that could end your life quicker than a storm ever could." Those were parting words.
Haruka shook his head, crouching in front of his brother. He watched as Nezuri untied his necklace from his neck, a silver pendant in the shape of a running cat. Nezuri put it in his palm. "Go!" Nezuri yelled.
He didn't look back. With the silver cat in his hands, he felt more assurance of safety. Haruka could smell smoke behind him, and knew he'd never see Nezuri until his paws walked along the shores of the afterlife.
After reaching a meadow, he turned and looked out towards the forest he'd run from. Smoke swelled over the forest. He fell to his knees, tied his brother's necklace around his neck, and watched, waiting for the storm to finish its unrelenting onslaught.
A quick note: Fishcats, also called Catfish, are a race of shapeshifters that can transform between cat, fish, and human, or a mix between cat/fish forms (know as "mixed forms"), gill-baring human forms, and cat/human forms. Some communities spend most of their lives as only one species, and some alternate frequently between all of them. Fishcats generally live between 30 and 45 years. The main character, Haruka, is 7, which is roughly the equivalent of a 19 year old human. They are considered a magic people, and are the subject of discrimination from real humans.
The prologue is probably pretty cliche/cookie-cutter backstory stuff but who cares.
Prologue
Life is a journey, and along the road, things happen that you aren't prepared for. Maybe those things will change your life, or maybe they won't. For Haruka, a spanner barb tabby fishcat living in Markrivet lake, one of these instances demonstrated to him how quickly someone or something you love can be snatched away.
At the age of six, a fishcat nearly old enough to be considered an adult, he led a happy and simple life.
His was a family that often stayed in their mixed forms, between cat and fish. Devouring flies and small mammals near the lake and playing with the reeds that grew on the sandy floor of his clear-watered home, he was always satisfied. His mother and father, as well as his older brother Nezuri, were an excellent example to the Markrivet community how peaceful a life can be.
His carefree existence was thrown to the wind on a stormy august day. The waves thrashed across the shore, like nothing Haruka had ever seen. He watched, clinging tightly to a small rock, his claws struggling to keep their hold. The wind roared like a dozen tigers sparring.
A wave washed over him, throwing him away from the stone, and into his brother. "Nezuri!" He spat, water stinging his eyes. "What's with this storm?" Haruka looked at his brother, nearly identical to him in their mixed forms, dark brown tabbies with gills, a fin-like tail, webbed paws and a fin-crest along their back.
"I'm not sure, but I don't think the lake is safe right now," he yelled over the roar. "We should find our parents."
They swam, with great difficulty, through the torrent. Their parents were standing at a stone wall connected with a flat rock surface serving as a floor, looking wet and troubled. Upon seeing their kits, Haruka's mother let out a loud meow to tell them to follow. Then, she dove into the water.
Haruka was confused, but obedient. The whole family swam after her as she exited on the nearby east shore behind the rock. His mother quickly transformed into her cat form. A graceful abyssinian cat, she was now much more suited for running on land. The others followed suit, and chased her as she ran through the trees.
Deafening thunder made Haruka flatten his ears and feel as though his heart would leave his body through his throat. The storm showed no signs of ending. He stuck close to Nezuri as they leaped on rocks and fallen trees.
They heard a yelp, and stopped running, to get their bearings. Their parents had vanished. "Where are they?" Haruka asked in panic. Nezuri seemed frozen. "Nezuri! Where are they? Nezuri?" His voice wavered, and then Nezuri began to glow. Why was he transforming now?
In his human form, Nezuri was a tall, handsome man - wearing a white shirt with a grinning face, now no longer relevant to the state of their lives. He reached for Haruka's hand.
Bright light filled the air. A tree behind them lit on fire.
Haruka transformed, and grabbed his brother's hand. "I won't lose you!" Shouted Nezuri, climbing up a rock they probably would've had more trouble crossing over as cats.
On the way down on the otherside, Nezuri tripped, and let out a yowl of pain. "What?" Shouted Haruka.
"My leg," Nezuri said. He held it and grimaced. "I think it's broken. Haruka, you have to go."
"No," Haruka looked down at his brother. "No, Nezuri, no."
"Hurry. I'll meet you back at Markrivet later." Haruka knew even Nezuri didn't believe that. Nezuri grabbed his brother's hand. "Haruka. Take care of yourself. And remember, stay away from the grasp of humans. They're tricky, ruthless creatures, and some of them know destructive magic that could end your life quicker than a storm ever could." Those were parting words.
Haruka shook his head, crouching in front of his brother. He watched as Nezuri untied his necklace from his neck, a silver pendant in the shape of a running cat. Nezuri put it in his palm. "Go!" Nezuri yelled.
He didn't look back. With the silver cat in his hands, he felt more assurance of safety. Haruka could smell smoke behind him, and knew he'd never see Nezuri until his paws walked along the shores of the afterlife.
After reaching a meadow, he turned and looked out towards the forest he'd run from. Smoke swelled over the forest. He fell to his knees, tied his brother's necklace around his neck, and watched, waiting for the storm to finish its unrelenting onslaught.